Coilover Help

Seeing the only thing I can find is a 1.5 inch Eibach lowering spring for my Lincoln Ls I figured Id ask if anyone knows a company that can build me a coil over set up for my car... Ive searched, called and searched some more with no avail...

I don't want anything super special with gold plated springs, statue of liberty brass...just something functional and quality that can get me lower then 1.5.....

[img]http://www.belmonttools.com/images/angle-grinder.jpg[/img]

diy... jussayin.

If you've searched high and low, and there is nothing available off the shelf, you're going to have to go custom. What kind of suspension does your car have? Are the spring and strut a single unit? Or are they separate? If they are separate, I've had success in the past using spring perches or weight jacks with custom springs. You can get the spring perch parts dirt cheap through stock car or dirt track parts suppliers to build something custom (can fit literally any size OD spring), pay a local fabrication shop to do the welds. Here is an example from [URL="http://www.koniracing.com/sleeves.cfm"]Koni[/URL]. Match it with a custom spring supplier like SSS or even Eibach. It might get real technical. People usually do this to tune corner-weighting, but can also be used strictly for ride height adjustment and looks (if that's what you want). The concept is to run a spring that is a few inches shorter than stock, with an adjustable perch sitting either above or below the spring (depending on the design of your suspension). Then you adjust the perch to get the desired ride height. For example, if the stock spring is 14" in length, you could run a 10" spring, and a spring perch that can be adjusted 4". So you end up with a spring / perch combo that is still 14" long at max adjustment, allowing you to sit at near stock ride height, and then 4" of adjustment via the perch, allowing you to drop it up to 4". Of course, all the measurements change when you load the springs with the weight of the car, but you get the idea. The thing is, you change the spring length or rate or type (progressive / static) you change the ride quality. So with a bad match of specs it can ride really harsh. So might take a few tries. The strut quality also plays a huge role in ride quality. Good Luck!! Another option might be to find any other makes/models that share similar suspension designs / measurements and see if parts interchange.

[QUOTE=CrazyHawaiian;412174]If you've searched high and low, and there is nothing available off the shelf, you're going to have to go custom. What kind of suspension does your car have? Are the spring and strut a single unit? Or are they separate? If they are separate, I've had success in the past using spring perches or weight jacks with custom springs. You can get the spring perch parts dirt cheap through stock car or dirt track parts suppliers to build something custom (can fit literally any size OD spring), pay a local fabrication shop to do the welds. Here is an example from [URL="http://www.koniracing.com/sleeves.cfm"]Koni[/URL]. Match it with a custom spring supplier like SSS or even Eibach. It might get real technical. People usually do this to tune corner-weighting, but can also be used strictly for ride height adjustment and looks (if that's what you want). The concept is to run a spring that is a few inches shorter than stock, with an adjustable perch sitting either above or below the spring (depending on the design of your suspension). Then you adjust the perch to get the desired ride height. For example, if the stock spring is 14" in length, you could run a 10" spring, and a spring perch that can be adjusted 4". So you end up with a spring / perch combo that is still 14" long at max adjustment, allowing you to sit at near stock ride height, and then 4" of adjustment via the perch, allowing you to drop it up to 4". Of course, all the measurements change when you load the springs with the weight of the car, but you get the idea. The thing is, you change the spring length or rate or type (progressive / static) you change the ride quality. So with a bad match of specs it can ride really harsh. So might take a few tries. The strut quality also plays a huge role in ride quality. Good Luck!! Another option might be to find any other makes/models that share similar suspension designs / measurements and see if parts interchange.[/QUOTE]


Thanks for the info...The spring and strut are a separate unit.

Not to sound dumb but I just read your whole thing and am still lost...lol I know how a coil over works, I just have no clue how to get the right measurements, what to order etc..


So I would go with Eibach Springs...what would be my next step?

he's basically saying make your own. order custom springs and then piece together a perch for the spring and a shock that matches your spring rate and has the necessary travel. you can actually order springs with custom spring rates with eibach although i don't know why anyone who has. actually i have a vendor account with eibach and i have no idea how to do it LOL.

No, does not sound dumb at all. Custom can get very confusing. Like brainneeded said, I'm describing a route you could go to build something custom. This is not a replacement for coilovers, but this is an option you could go with to achieve more ride height control. The thing you need to worry about though, is the ride quality. Set it up wrong, and it will ride harsh (speaking from experience). 

But first things first, gonna need to approach this with a different mindset. When you do custom, you need a DIY mindset. So instead of just looking for parts by vehicle or make / model, you'll be looking for parts based on specs and dimensions. You will need to research stuff. You will need to call people and ask around. You will need to DIY.

So the first step here is to find out your specs. You'll either want to remove your OEM springs, or get some OEM springs off a parts car. You'll need one front spring and one rear spring since they're usually different front/rear. Then you'll need to measure the height of both springs, as well as the OD or diameter. Then determine how much ride height adjustment you want/need. Those are the specs you'll need to build the spring perches. Then you gotta research the OEM springs and try to find out the OEM spring rates and spring type. Then you use the spring rate info, combined with the physical dimensions of OEM springs, in conjunction with how much drop adjustment you're looking for, to order the custom springs. 

The custom spring and the spring perch will work as a combo, so make sure you spec it out right. The example above with a 14" spring is a good example. It went from 14" static to 14" combo with 4" of adjustment. That was the easy part. The hard part is, you won't want to use the same spring rates as OEM because it will be lower, you'll need to go stiffer. But how stiff do you go? This is the hard part that requires trial and error, so this is why I say it might take a few tries, and lots of labor. Too soft and you'll bottom out. Too stiff and it rides harsh. There is a sweet spot, you just have to find it. You will also want to match this with a set of aftermarket struts that offer damping adjustments to help you tune the ride quality. And if possible, struts that are designed to be low and wont bottom out or blow. I've had success with Koni in the past (Yellows).

One thing to really watch out for though, you really really [B]REALLY[/B] need to make sure you don't go too short. If the spring / perch combo is shorter than the amount of chassis travel, it would be possible for the spring / perch combo to fall out in the event that you somehow catch air and the suspension completely unloads. Sounds crazy, but you want to make sure you do this safely.

Bottom line, it's not impossible. I've slammed cars that people said could not be slammed, did not use coilovers, and still had a great amount of adjustment. Granted, this method is not as good as coilovers, and off-the-shelf is so much easier. But anything is possible. In the end you have something nobody else has, and then it's up to you to decide if you want to share the info on how you did it. Sharing is caring....

Thanks for the info..

I'm going to do a little more re-search into this. I may have found someone to make me a set. He's made on for a LS before, so he has all the specs and experience.

By the time I'm done spending for coil overs I could just get air ride..lol